


To Help You Sleep At Night

by Wagnetic



Category: due South
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Episode Tag, M/M, The Ladies' Man
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-16
Updated: 2014-12-16
Packaged: 2018-03-01 17:16:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2781299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wagnetic/pseuds/Wagnetic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He lets his hand clasp the back of Ray’s neck, offering what comfort he can provide and Ray can accept.</p>
            </blockquote>





	To Help You Sleep At Night

**Author's Note:**

  * For [clevermanka](https://archiveofourown.org/users/clevermanka/gifts).



Fraser waits by the car with Dief, staring at the door of the Botrelle house. He’s memorized the exact shapes of the address number —595, 595— lit up against one of the house’s wooden panels. It must have been a lovely home before the murder of Jake Botrelle. Or perhaps not, given the state of the Botrelle’s marriage. But thoughts of the house can’t occupy him for long, and his mind comes back again and again to Ray.

In the last few days, Ray’s lost more than his faith in Sam Franklin. His sense of identity has been shaken. Fraser knows that Ray will bounce back as he’s always done, but that knowledge doesn’t change his dismay. He’s never seen his lover this lost. Ray’s said before that he was, in his words, a con job, but even then a strong sense of self came through. Three days ago, Ray said he was a killer, and Fraser saw that in that moment he believed it. In that moment, he acted like it. Ray wouldn’t have killed that man, but he truly might have hurt him, and that’s not the Ray Fraser knows, whose aggression is largely for show.

The door opens and Ray walks to the car, his gait mechanical. He keeps his head down and doesn’t meet Fraser’s eyes as he gets into the driver’s seat. Dief pants a question at him but gets no answer and he moves to the back so Fraser can sit beside Ray. For a moment there’s silence, and then Ray takes an uneven breath and begins to sob.

His eyes squeeze shut and his mouth pulls up in a grimace. It makes Fraser’s heart lurch. Crying might help Ray let the poison of the last three days leave him, and with it all the dread and confusion that seems to have changed him. Maybe after the tears, he will be more himself again but oh, Fraser wishes that he could take that guilt away. He knows that gnawing feeling. If anything can wear it away, it will be the passing of time, and that’s not something Fraser can give him.

He lets his hand clasp the back of Ray’s neck, offering what comfort he can provide and Ray can accept. They stay like that for a long time. Ray’s sobs stop and begin again until the sorrow ebbs away, leaving exhaustion in its wake.

“Ray,” Fraser says, “Let me drive. I’ll take you home.”

Ray nods. “Right. Yeah.” His voice isn’t much more than a whisper, and he doesn’t speak again until they reach his apartment. He doesn’t argue when Fraser and Dief follow him out of the car.

Ray fumbles with his keys until Fraser wonders if he ought to take over, but he manages to turn the key in the lock just as Fraser opens his mouth to ask. He makes a beeline for the couch and sprawls there, though his posture is off. Tonight he holds his arms close to his sides and his head is tucked down, not resting against to back of the couch. Dief pads over to lie by his feet and Fraser takes off his shoes and locks the door behind him before coming to sit by Ray, who stays silent.

“Do you want some water?” Fraser asks.

“I’d like a beer,” Ray says, and laughs bitterly. “Or five.”

Fraser nods, and Ray makes no move to get up and fetch one. He doesn’t move at all, and it disturbs Fraser as much as the threats of violence from before. This is also far from the Ray Fraser knows. Fraser can see the stiffness in the muscles of Ray’s neck and shoulders, and he wonders if Ray would object to being touched, more than just a hand on his neck. Sometimes after a hard day he prefers to have some space. It’s difficult to judge, but for once Fraser decides to follow his instinct. Fraser stands and holds his hand out to Ray.

“Come on.”

Ray doesn’t ask where they’re going, he just takes Fraser’s hand and follows him to the bedroom. It looks exactly how Fraser used to imagine it—two piles of clothes on the floor, one dirty and one clean (Fraser has given up on trying to improve Ray’s housekeeping), some framed pictures of Ray’s family, a desk piled with knick-knacks, newspapers, and Post-It notes, and his large, perpetually unmade bed. The sheets are light gray and the pillowcases match the deep red of the quilted comforter hanging halfway off the bed. It’s a homey touch in the otherwise uncared for room. Fraser settles himself on the bed with a pillow behind his back and pats the space in front of him, and Ray kicks off his shoes and sits.

“Take off your shirt?”

Ray gives him a curious look, and Fraser explains, “I thought a massage might help.” Once again, Ray does as Fraser says, but he manages a little smile this time. It’s slight, just the smallest turn of his lips, and it’s not happy, but it _is_ grateful and Fraser is glad to see a look on Ray that’s not emptiness, anger, or despair.

He skims his hands over the skin of Ray’s shoulders, waiting to see if Ray will object, and when he doesn’t, Fraser adds a little pressure. Ray’s muscles stay tense, but when Fraser puts his hands on Ray’s nape and presses gently on the muscles at the sides of his neck, Ray’s shoulders drop and he lets out a slow breath. Fraser kneads at Ray’s nape for a minute or two before he moves to Ray’s back.

He keeps his touches firm, but not hard, letting Ray press into his hands when he wants more contact. Ray is eager, and when Fraser moves his hands to Ray’s arms, he scoots back until he’s all but pressed up against Fraser. He’s close enough that Fraser can smell the mousse in his hair. The chemical scent used to bother him, but now it only makes him think of touch and closeness. He traces the lines of Ray’s collarbones, and when Ray leans back until he’s settled against Fraser’s chest, he wraps his arms around him. He lets himself touch Ray as he likes, sweeping over his chest and stroking his stomach. All the while, Ray presses closer still. He sighs, but there’s a hint of something like discomfort there.

“Ray?”

Ray puts his hand over Fraser’s and guides it a little lower, and oh, Ray’s so hard under Fraser’s hand. He draws in a quick breath when Fraser touches him through his jeans and his next breath catches in his throat when Fraser adds a little pressure. If this is the kind of comfort Ray wants, Fraser is happy to give him that as well. Ray’s head drops back to rest against Fraser’s shoulder, a feeling Fraser treasures.

“Good?” he murmurs.

“Good.” Ray pushes into Fraser’s hand, and Fraser is tempted to grind against Ray in turn, but this isn’t about Fraser’s pleasure.

He reaches for Ray’s zipper, but Ray moves his hand away. Fraser opens his mouth to apologize—maybe this isn’t what Ray wants after all—but Ray stands up and strips out of his jeans and boxers. Fraser draws him back down, and when he’s settled comfortably Fraser strokes him slow and firm.

“I’ve got you,” Fraser whispers and Ray shivers, either from the words or from Fraser’s breath on his neck. Fraser nuzzles closer and Ray lets his head fall to the side so Fraser can kiss him there. Ray’s neck is sensitive and he hisses Fraser’s name at the touch of his lips.

“A little harder,” Ray says, and when Fraser does as he asks, Ray hisses, “Yeah, like that, just like that.”

The sounds of Ray’s voice and his uneven breaths are maddening. They feel almost like a touch.

“So slow—Ahh. You’re driving me crazy. No, don’t speed up. I like it this way. Want it to last.”

“As slow as you want it,” Fraser promises before returning to Ray’s neck, alternating kisses and bites just soft enough to avoid leaving marks.

Fraser teases the spot just under the head of Ray’s cock and Ray bucks up into his fist. He’s beautiful like this, hips rocking and head thrown back, and Fraser wants to kiss his lips and nip at his throat, but the angle isn’t right. For now, he runs his fingers up the base of Ray’s cock, strokes him hard, and cups his balls, listening to the low noises Ray makes in response.

Fraser brushes his thumb over the tip of Ray’s cock and Ray jerks and groans, “Do that again.”

Fraser does, and the hitch in Ray’s breath makes him ache.

“Oh fuck, I can’t. I wanted, but I can’t, I have to—”

“It’s okay,” Fraser whispers. “I’ve got you.”

Ray keens softly as he comes and Fraser strokes him through it and holds him as he gasps through the aftershocks. Ray sighs and slumps back against Fraser as he settles, but Fraser guides him to lie down beside him instead.

Fraser’s still hard—how could he not be, watching Ray come like that?—but this isn’t about him tonight. This is about Ray and what Ray needs, and now what Ray needs is sleep. His eyes are only half open, and Fraser hopes the post-coital drowsiness will let him rest. The fine lines below his eyes speak of restless nights.

“Go to sleep, Ray,” Fraser murmurs.

Ray hums agreeably and lets Fraser stroke his hair and place kisses on his cheeks and forehead as he drifts. When Ray’s breathing evens into the cadence of sleep, Fraser tries to stand but Ray’s hand wraps around Fraser’s wrist. Not entirely asleep yet then. His face creases in concern when Fraser gently pries his fingers from his wrist, but Fraser shushes him and undresses quickly, and Ray’s face smoothes out again when Fraser slips back into the bed. Ray rolls towards him and sighs once his head rests on Fraser’s chest. He can’t make a particularly comfortable pillow, Fraser thinks, but Ray seems content to nuzzle into him and Fraser wraps an arm around Ray and holds him close. To be the one to care for Ray like this is a blessing: a gift Ray gives him, whether he knows it or not.

“Don’t go, ‘kay?”

“I’m not going anywhere,” Fraser promises. “I’m right here.”

He can feel it when Ray smiles against his skin.


End file.
